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Monthly Archives: March 2016

In February I went to see Seu Jorge with friends at the Blue Note Jazz Club, 131 West 3rd Street, NYC. Seu Jorge is a Brazilian pop star made popular here in the United States by his appearance in the 2004 Wes Anderson film, ‘The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou’ (I’ve gotta get some of my songs in a film hahahaha). He recorded covers of David Bowie’s ‘Life on Mars?’, ‘Rock n’ Roll Suicide’, ‘Changes’,’Oh You Pretty Things’, ‘Suffragette City’, ‘Five Years’, ‘Queen Bitch’, ‘When I Live My Dream’, ‘Starman’, ‘Quicksand’, and ‘Rebel, Rebel’ for said film sung in Portuguese and accompanied by nylon string guitar. Bowie’s response was, “had Seu Jorge not recorded my songs in Portuguese I would never have heard this new level of beauty which he has imbued them with”. I had been avoiding Bowie tributes after he died because my relationship with his music is very personal and I didn’t want to feel less about his catalog. I allowed myself this possibility with Seu because I had already heard his covers, I really like them, and this was NOT a tribute show. Portuguese added space for the covers to be particular to Seu and I wanted to hear more of his own music. I really love Antonio Carlos Jobim and Gilberto Gil (Brazilian) so this was a fairly safe bet. Seu has a rich, facile voice and his guitar playing is really sensitive and his rhythm is excellent. He has Samba in his soul for sure with some great jazz inflections and a pop sensibility to boot. His band was outstanding, piano, bass and drums/percussion….I searched for those cats names but have come up blank. If anybody knows their names please write to me!! They were great!! The Blue Note Jazz Club is a special place rich with a history of notable performers since they opened in 1981. The show was sold out but we had a table (much more comfortable than crunching in at the bar). One of the beautiful things about New York City is that an International star can come here and have fans from his/her home country in the audience. It does something for us natives too, it reminds us of the beauty to be found in the world. We crave this feeling in the current isolationist climate fostered by jerks whom I shall not name lest I sully my precious blog page hahahahahaha. Seu began relaxed and became more intense as the set went on. He is a very focused performer. As I’ve probably noted before (see Dungen) I love hearing songs in other languages. I’ve been studying Italian for the past year so I was particularly delighted when he sang a song in Italiano!! I highly recommend Seu Jorge without reservation, go see him live!! You will not be disappointed! Have a great weekend all!!
Upcoming Dates: Saturday April 2nd, 2016 The Purple Hat Foundation’s 6th Annual Benefit @ An Beal Bocht Cafe 445 West 238th Street @ Graystone Ave. Bronx, NYCharity Event featuring all of these righteous acts!!
11:00 – Janice Young
11:30 -Julian Bar-Illan
12:00 – The Deep End
12:30 – Rob McMahon
1:00 – Jim Petrie
1:30 – Riley Fields & Sarah Halliday
2:00 – Pat Harper
3:00 – New York Brogue
3:30 – John Walsh
4:10 – Sloe Guns
5:00 – Mary Courtney
5:30 – Last Stop
6:00 – Philip Lynch (solo)
6:30 – Steve Oates
7:00 – Jerry Dugger and Luca Tozzi
8:00 – Dragonfly 13
9:00 – Electric Walrus
9:30 – DENNISAURUSrex
10:10 – Mitchell Trio
10:50 – The Lounge Act
11:30 – Brooks Thomas

Brahms wrote, Ein Deutsches Requiem (The German Requiem), the most ‘human’ i.e. secular requiem of all requiems. Sacred but non-liturgical set to texts from the Lutheran Bible. Consolation to the living rather than judgement of the dead. About a year ago I went to hear the work at Carnegie Hall. It featured the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, choir, and solists, Diana Damrau (soprano) and Christian Gerhaher (baritone). 7 movements. Brahms mother died in 1865 and The German Requiem was written between 1865 and 1868 so some speculate his great grief inspired the work. Death is a funny thing in that it’s the last thing we all have to do. I recently read an article about the medical community addressing the practical uses of silocybin in hospice care. Expanding ones consciousness via hallucinogens is not a new concept…as a means to alleviate ones anxiety about death seems new. Western thinking seems stuck in an anxiety and fear of death and I can think of no greater consolation than music. The harmonies are exquisite and the choir stands out as much as the soloists, it is a very balanced piece of music. Brahms pays clear reverence to the dead in a loving, gentle, inclusive way. Beauty in the face of death may seem odd but it’s fitting. Paying homage to life requires an acknowledgement of death. We are fragile. Being human we must struggle and fight the dying of the light which the music appropriately conveys. Diana Damrau and Christian Gerhaher were stellar. I love Verdi’s Requiem but this one, not nearly as grand in scope, was a revelation to me in it’s sensitivity. I highly recommend Brahms Ein Deutsches Requiem. Thanks for checking in!

P.S. I’m playing tonight at 8PM The Shrine in Harlem 2271 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd., NYC Not classical but some original Philip Lynch tunes nonetheless.